


Dreaming of a Land

by Fallenfae



Series: 12 Ships of Christmas - Warrior cats ! [3]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Cottagecore, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Human AU, Oh yeah., This was rushed, Useless Lesbians, and leonette is leafpool, anyway im finally done and glad that i am, as you can tell novalynn is nightcloud, god i dont quit with that do i lmao, i hated trying this human name thing, i just want to finish my homework and draw, i procrastinated so hard, please i just started this morning, royaltycore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:28:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27896059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallenfae/pseuds/Fallenfae
Summary: When a high-class Novalynn (Nightcloud) wants to expirience the domestic lifestyle, she goes on to meet an ex-princess.
Relationships: Leafpool/Nightcloud (Warriors)
Series: 12 Ships of Christmas - Warrior cats ! [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035597
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	Dreaming of a Land

Leonette often found it lonely during the colder months.

She lived alone, far away from the center of town. She was an outcast - especially after the scandal that'd gone down messily, staining her reputation quite thoroughly and she'd gone from being the top medic of the country _and_ the second-in-line princess to watching her son take her place and leave her in the dust. It'd been a while, and by now she'd gotten over it. The public had forgotten about her and the scandal, and she found it quite liberating to live all alone so far from town and be able to go over whenever she pleased without being recognized. She was simply a forgotten royal. 

The clink of the brunette's teacup against the plate beneath it and the boiling water cooling down in the kitchen were the only distinguishable sounds she'd heard this morning. It was as per usual very quiet, and although today was certain to be a busy day, Leonette had made herself a nice brunch to keep herself energized before her yard work. Bringing in milk, eggs, getting the chickens to a warmer coop for the winter and generally weeding the garden before it snowed enough for it to be difficult to go back and fix it then. It wasn't much - the Fire star had granted her access to top of the line technology and quite the pleasing looking cottage just to keep her away from public scorn, more so as a safety precaution than anything - but nevertheless she had to work.

Leonette fiddled with the quill in her hand, scrawling the day's tasks on a spare sheet of note paper to keep track of it all while sipping her tea, hair bunched up in a messy low ponytail to keep any strands from obscuring her vision. The soft light cascaded in through the window Leonette sat at, the cool light a proper source of light to keep focused. Line after line she messily wrote, allowing herself to take in the lovely morning all the while.She'd only then noticed the hard clopping of hooves against the ground, alerting her shaking tea and therefore drawing her attention toa coming presence. Heart pounding, Leonette only realized then the consequences of such an unexpected visit, shooting up to dust off her floral patterned dress reaching to about half her calf (for practical reasons of course,) patting down her paint stained apron tied around her waist and readjusting her circular glasses trying her absolute best to look at least just barely presentable before nervously peeking out the window to check who exactly was coming towards her door, spotting two healthy looking horses dragging a black expensive-looking carriage heading straight towards her door. The brunette narrowed her eyes before rushing to the door, creaking it open with a little push and a shove and coming out onto the porch of the cottage barefoot to greet the mysterious visitor.

The footman had already been at the carriage's door by the time Leonette had gotten outside, and so she was left barefoot, hair a mess, clasping her hands expectantly. Out of breath, Leonette watched an unfamiliar lady be helped out of the carriage, elegantly stepping onto the ground beneath her, pitch black hair done in an updo, a hat capping it off with a lovely in-style feather, her dress off the shoulder and sleek, almost as black as her hair was, although Leonette noticed that if she squinted, she could see through the skirt's ruffles, that it was a twinge of purple as well. The last time Leonette had ever seen a dress this elegant was the last morning she was allowed in the palace, of which she wore the farewell gown she still had stuffed away in her closet. For now, she wore the looser dresses that aired out faster just to keep cool. It took a moment for her to realize the woman had said something before she flushed a deep red and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She bowed lightly with respect. "Pardon?"

The tan woman cleared her throat. "Greetings," she sighed in a tone that indicated bad news was coming. "I am Novalynn d'Bellefeuille. I believe my ex-husband is the father of your children, and well, I have come to seek you out after his and I's annulment." 

Leonette tried not to dwell on her accent. She seemed foreign - perhaps French - educated, polite and oh so classy. Ruffling her skirts out of impulse, Leonette nodded. "Yes, he is the father. I do however wonder," she tried to match the official tone of the raven-haired noblewoman, digging up memories of the education she'd received in the palace, "how you found me after all the...well, attempts of hiding?"

Novalynn signalled something to the footman, who nodded and whipped at the horses to get going and leave the two ladies behind. She turned to eye the brunette down. "Well, as a member of the high court, I know a princess when I see one, past or not." 

Leonette blushed, creaking open the door further. "Ehm, care to come in?"

\--

By the time Novalynn was on the sofa, Leonette was once again in the kitchen brewing another cup of tea panicking at her presence. It was unexpected, of course, as all visits were - but it was even more so embarrassing when her half-finished paintings were strewn about on the ground, and paintings waiting to be hung up leaning on the wall, books scattered about the place and her brunch still lying on the table, undoubtedly getting cold. It was no suitable place for a member of the high court, and certainly not so for a princess either, but nevertheless, the brunette indulged in her wants and needs here all alone. A paradise.

Every moment that passed by, Novalynn has taken her sweet time eyeing the cottage at its fullest. While it was odd to be sitting in the company of common folk, it did take her back to a time where she had no money to afford such luxuries, and so she had found no issue with such a cozy place. Instead, she found herself envying Leonette; though she knew full well she had business here to do, and business only. When Leonette had come back to the living room and settled on a sofa to the right of the one Leonette sat on, she came with tea and a slice of cake she'd made a day prior. She had nothing else to offer, as she needed to head to the market quite soon.

"So," Leonette awkwardly cleared her throat, "what about Crowly was so important you risked your safety to come here in such dastardly weather?" Novalynn had taken a sip of her tea, every movement and mannerism she made reminding Leonette of the palace. She knew this woman was highly educated given how everything she did gave off the energy of a noble-born woman, but she was not such. With raised eyebrows, Novalynn gestured towards the paintings. "You used the detail-overlooking method." She pointed out. "The illusion of detail."

If Leonette was expecting anything, it certainly wasn't a comment on her brushstrokes. She glanced at her painting - a self portrait of herself kneeling in the snow in a black gown and a bloody heart dripping down to stain everything, leaving a heavy bout of black-white-red contrast. She nodded. "I did, yes. But how exactly..?"

"I assume there is symbolism behind it?" She pushed, slipping off her lace gloves and placing them criss-crossed in her lap. She seemed oddly interested in such trivial matters that Leonette couldn't help but find suspicion in her. Leonette shrugged. "I suppose so." She trailed off, finding no purpose in explaining her craft to a woman who came for such an important visit. The silence lingered in the air for quite a while until Novalynn had the heart to break it.

"Forgive me - I might have fibbed a little." She inhaled, looking bashful before slipping off her hat and placing it on top of her gloves. "My cause of visit was not Crowly. My cause of visit was just…well, rumour was that you lived like.. _a peasant,_ not to be rude. It's just...I've always longed to come back to this simple lifestyle, and such a high figure like yourself living so comfortably? I had to see for myself." She explained, leaving Leonette a bit dumbstruck and at a loss to take it all in.

"You came here," She repeated, at a loss for words, "to take in the _peasant lifestyle?_ "

Novalynn realized just how awful she'd made it sound, flushing a deep shade of red and perking up to correct her mistake. "Oh! No, no, not a peasant lifestyle, just a...simpler one. One who lives in a manor that's over decorated with festivities and the stress of the schedules does get me a bit lopsided and impulsive. I'm just.." she fiddled with the ruffles of her poofy skirt, "...interested by you, dear." 

Leonette arched a brow. "Interested by me? Well, if you're so interested, why don't you test the waters?" She offered, picking up the gloves and hat Novalynn had set down, much to her surprise. Leonette pulled her up by her arms. "I've got a better dress for you in my closet." She smiled.

It didn't take long for the two of them to make their way to Leonette's room, the dresser open as Leonette rummaged through it. She wanted to find something to do Novalynn justice; to match her elegant aura, just to keep her happy and practical. When she'd selected the proper dress, she left it hanging on the rack for later, turning around to the dark haired woman, flicking her finger in gesture for her to turn around. Novalynn did, exposing the laced up corset that Leonette ran her fingers across gently before landing them on the tied knot. She delicately unlaced the corset, the dress getting looser around Novalynn's frame before it completely slipped off. Leonette tried not to let herself stare; she was sure Novalynn wouldn't appreciate it much, but even the effort left her a little breathless. She helped to unbuckle the skirt's boning, and once that was done, Novalynn was left in nothing more than the base underdress. She, of course, was aware of just how vulnerable the situation was, and while Novalynn was quite accustomed to being dressed by other people, she was never dressed by another noblewoman before. Well, ex noblewoman. She only felt the cold contrasted the the warm touch of Leonette's fingers as she helped Novalynn slip into a new dress, one Novalynn could only make out to be a warm shade of grey. 

When the back was laced up, Novalynn could finally move, and with every sway the fabric brushed against her skin lightly - unlike the usual gowns she wore. She found this dress to feel more like a nightgown than daywear. Leonette smiled at the sight before dipping back in to untie her black updo.

Leonette tangled her fingers in the surprisingly silky long hair, letting it cascade down the woman's back. 

"I think this'll do." 

\--

The hens clucked, pleased by Leonette's visit. It'd begun snowing just earlier that day, and they'd gotten quite cold in the meantime. Now snow was barely coating all the ground outside, and so the brunette's appearance signalled they would soon be whisked away to a warmer environment. She fed them, seeds in hand, scattering across the ground lightly. "Hiya Greta," Leonette hummed at the hen pecking at the palm of her hand. The hen cooed, tail feathers ruffling in gratitude. Leonette smiled, readjusting her position on the mulch so that her skirt puffed out around her. Novelynn dared not come close to the coop, leaning against the fence around it in fear. Her fingers clutched to the cracked wooden gate. "They're real chickens?" She asked, nervous.

Leonette turned to glance at the black-haired lady, nodding. "Of course they are! Greta and Daphne are my oldest girls." She chuckled, petting another chicken on it's head. Novalynn fumbled lightly. "I haven't seen one since I was fifteen. It's odd, to see an old princess do...well, yardwork."

Leonette heaved herself up and off the ground, dusting her off her hands on hee apron before coming right up to her side of the gate, booping Novalynn's nose. "You are so sheltered."

Novalynn tried not to blush. "Perhaps I am, but I guess this is a nice change of pace."

Leonette hopped over the fence and shimmied to the other side, landing on her feet. "How many other animals are you afraid of?" Leonette chuckled, fixing up her glasses. For a moment Novalynn thought, looked around the yard before bashfully mumbling, "all of them. Except cats." 

Leonette blinked, dumbstruck. "All of them? Even lambs?"

"They chew on fabric…" Novalynn excused shyly. It was clearly a sensitive topic. She didn't even seem to be looking at the brunette anymore, just fumbling with strands of her hair. "Well gosh, I shouldn't let Sparky out then, should I?" Leonette offered. "He's a dog, but I promise he's really gentle."

"Oh gosh, I wouldn't want to intrude your home and keep you from going about your days as usual! Just, ehm, keep him a little...distant?"

Leonette leaned on the fence gate beside her, side eyeing the dog house where Sparky slept. She could hardly believe he was still dozing off. Nevertheless she wanted Novalynn to have the best experience she could here, and she would do what she must. "Deal."

\--

The warm scent of cookies wafted across the cottage and was practically all they could smell the entire day. It wasn't particularly a bad thing; gingerbread did smell quite pleasant afterall, and it was just the right intensity that they weren't exactly overwhelmed, but it did cause a little issue of Sparky constantly nipping at their feet. While Leonette found no issue in this, it did make Novalynn quite wary, down to the point where she refused to stand on the ground and rather sit on the countertops like a child. Leonette found it quite amusing.

"Alright Nova, you want a little taste test?" Leonette teased, holding up a steamy cookie to her mouth. The black-haired girl flushed deeply at the prospect of being treated like a child, crossing her arms with a pout. She didn't respond, only bit at the cookie held to her mouth. "It's.." she muffled, before covering her mouth with a hand and swallowing. "Pardon! Uhm, it's good." She chuckled awkwardly.

Leonette laughed breathily. "Well, I'm glad you like them. I don't usually bake a batch this big - I don't really have to feed anyone but myself." She sighed, leaning against the counter. Novalynn could recognize the melancholy in her expression, and had a deep set longing to help somehow. She set her hand hesitantly on Leonette's shoulder. "Well hey, I'm here to have them, right?"

The brunette smiled, before hopping up to press her nose against Novalynn's inna butterfly kiss, who was quite surprised and utterly flustered at the sudden affection. "You sure are." Leonette mumbled happily.

\--

The days went by slowly, and while Novalynn was expected back by now, she'd long since decided to stay with Leonette for at least a week or two despite her responsibilities at home. Of course in the letter back to her assistant, she'd excused her absence with the falsehood that the cottage had snowed in and there was no possibility of a swift return. Of course, what she was doing instead was hanging up ornaments all around the house with Leonette - apparently a yearly tradition, one of which Leonette had to participate in all alone. 

The tree was put up now, decorated with plenty of shiny orbs, some cracked and worn from years of use. The box of decorations was still open and the few decorations left in it were too old to be used. What Novalynn did spot there though was something that interested her greatly.

She'd never used it before - it was seen as an inappropriate tradition for the high class, but she wanted to try it this one time, now that she was out of their sight.

_Mistletoe._

She grabbed at the berries and the string it was tied to, swiftly tying a knot her mother taught her to tie long ago just overtop the doorway and scrambled back to the sofa to pretend she hadn't done anything at all.

"Well, that's about it," Leonette came back into the living room, eyeing the work they'd done with pride. "I hope you and Sparks are doing okay with one another?"

At the foot of the sofa lied the sleeping dog, the same one in fact that Novalynn had grown more comfortable around since the first day. She rubbed his back with her bare foot. "He's okay," Novalynn smiled weakly, internally freaking out - Leonette was standing directly under the mistletoe. It was now or never. She heaved herself up and came over , grabbing Leonette's shoulders to keep her in place and hesitantly looking into her eyes. At a loss for breath, she pointed up at the hung mistletoe.

Leonette blinked, before bursting into a bout of giggles. Novalynn blushed, hands coming down to her sides to fiddle with the fabric of her skirt - and while she wasn't paying attention, Leonette dipped in for a soft peck onto her lips.

Immediately, Novalynn went into overdrive, nerves internally melting.

Maybe the simple life wasn't so bad.


End file.
